SHOWERED

The bridal shower I keep going on and on about? I was also in charge of the food. The vibe was simple and light — and I didn’t want to go the finger sandwich and chicken salad route — and I decided on grilled crostini two ways: broiled garden tomatoes soaked in balsamic and torn basil, and white bean, mushroom, thyme, and zucchini, drenched in white wine and lemon. Two salads, too: red leaf lettuce with dill, terragon, basil, garden cucumbers, and fresh summer corn, and arugula with grilled radicchio, blueberries, and homemade rye croutons. And dessert, of course — two summer fruit crostatas, one peach and raspberry, the other blueberry. Not only was it the first bridal shower I’ve ever hosted, it was the first bridal shower I’ve attended, ever. Hopefully it had the low-key and ladylike vibe befitting the lovely bride!